ABSTRACT
On account of the upward trend visible in the instances mentioned above, even the democratic societies remain under a threat that is growing. They need to establish how best to conduct their counter-terrorism while maintaining democratic values. These societies, in which there is a strong trend to respect the democratic rights of the citizens, believe that failure to follow these principles causes a slide towards authoritarian rule. The brutality of terrorist attacks, however, caused some reservations about this rule of law approach. Some circles assert that terrorism is a form of covert warfare, and that it should be treated as such. Consequently, at least in some cases, the rules ofthe game may be changed, and democratic rights may be temporarily curtailed. Some governments declared virtual 'war' on terrorism and engaged in repression at a human and political cost. But, on the other hand, this approach may well be counterproductive since it will generate additional support for terrorist groups, which will reappear as soon as repression comes to an end. Moreover, "declaring war" on terrorists may give them some "legitimacy", taking them out of the classification of common criminals. Further, a number of liberal societies do not wish to throw out the baby with the bath water; they stress the need to deal with terrorism only within the confines set by respect for democratic values.
